Huffington Post: Usher Lays Out His Plan To Combat High School Drop Out Rates

Huffington Post: Usher Lays Out His Plan To Combat High School Drop Out Rates

“My goal is to keep doubling this number until The New Look Effect can be felt around the world.” -Usher Raymond IV

Huffington Post

August 4, 2015

Usher wants to improve high school dropout rates across the globe.

The singer launched “Usher’s New Look” program with his mother, Jonetta Patton, in 1999 to increase high school graduation rates and provide students with strategies for success. Since its launch, “Usher’s New Look” has worked with more than 25,000 students globally, according to the singer.

“I’ve seen kids dream bigger. They know that anything is possible and they’re amazed at all of the opportunities available to them,” he told The Huffington Post. “It’s not enough to dream big. You have to have the tools and skills to make it happen.” Indeed, mentoring is one effective practice in preventing students from dropping out of school, according to the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network.